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Time to move on

Over the years I've been able to depend on an average annual increase in various fee's (MF's, Club Fee's, Exchange Fee's, Membership Fee's) of approx. 5%. My pay hasn't kept pace and it's to the point we're beginning the divest our TS portfolio. At this point one week has been given away and we have reached a take back agreement on two other weeks.

It's a shame. We've enjoyed our TS vacations. But there's no way we'll be able to maintain paying MF's during our retirement years. Fee's are doubling every 14 to 17 years plus companies are finding creative ways to tack on club/management fee's. Last year our total MF's on 8 resort weeks was a little over $8,000. By they time I retire that figure would become $16,000. It's unfortunate but it's quickly become time to move on. Perhaps that truck and RV we thought about in the 80's may be our future retirement plans after all.

Doug, I recall you and I purchased our first Marriott's around the same time.
I only wonder if keeping your OP silver and being part of the DC could work for you. It would give you the access to rent DC points from others as needed but heck, I guess you can rent where you want to go pretty much anyway.
I have sold one of my Marriott weeks and am keeping the two others because the rental of one offsets the costs of owning the two.

I know you are not the only one rethinking what to keep and what should go. I am hoping the give back are the DRI managed resorts. Your Marriott's should have value in the resale market.

the ratio is different for me, more like the rental of 2 offsets the cost of owning one

I watched with some envy as many of my fellow baby boomers have been able to buy a second home to enjoy in their retirement. I cant do that except with timeshares. I cant really call it retirement because its still work keeping these things rented.

oh and regarding an RV, when I looked at them I found the up keep, storage, and fuel cost, plus the rent at RV parks not to mention the initial cost to be considerably more than a couple of months in a timeshare

I had the same problem coming into retirement, plenty of time to travel, but not enough money. So I looked for solutions to this problem in depth. My solution of a timeshare rental business, I understand is not for everyone but there are others. If all I needed was inexpensive vacations, Id look at dumping the high maintenance fee stuff in in favor of something cheap to allow an RCI membership and then take advantage of the under $300 a week last calls

or make a deal with one of the Wyndham mega renters out there. They may pass their Platinum discount on to you

There is more than one way to skin a cat... these are only 2 of them

And a third would be sell your home and move somewhere cheap where you can be on vacation all year

I tend to agree that a motor home is not a solution, but rather an alternative. My ownership in timeshares has been up and down from 1 to 9 weeks and currently at 4. Motor homes have their problems and need more upkeep as they age.

I too purchased my timeshares as an alternative to a second home.
For now it works for me. But I live in FL, the land of timeshares.

I rent some of my points/weeks and it helps subsidize the lifestyle for now.
Hopefully I can continue to do so.

I own half of my portfolio as biennials and triennials just to avoid the MF headaches in the future.
I've done the camping thing in my youth and definitely don't want to go back to that again.
I'm too spoiled by a comfy bed, no bugs, a warm shower and resort luxuries.

Over the years I've been able to depend on an average annual increase in various fee's (MF's, Club Fee's, Exchange Fee's, Membership Fee's) of approx. 5%. My pay hasn't kept pace and it's to the point we're beginning the divest our TS portfolio. At this point one week has been given away and we have reached a take back agreement on two other weeks.

It's a shame. We've enjoyed our TS vacations. But there's no way we'll be able to maintain paying MF's during our retirement years. Fee's are doubling every 14 to 17 years plus companies are finding creative ways to tack on club/management fee's. Last year our total MF's on 8 resort weeks was a little over $8,000. By they time I retire that figure would become $16,000. It's unfortunate but it's quickly become time to move on. Perhaps that truck and RV we thought about in the 80's may be our future retirement plans after all.